Is there a list of current receivers that have dolby headphone processing? I looked a little and couldn't find any that weren't from several years ago.

I still think FiiO, or even someone like Asus, should make what is essentially a more powerful version of the mixamp. Same dolby headphone chip, but with desktop amp power and noise floor.

Ideally it would also have good analog inputs, so you can pair it with external DACs, and also ideally the internal amp would be "audiophile" enough that you could just use it as your default headphone amp and sell of any other headphone amps. If it was that good then it's allowed to be anywhere between 150-300$ IMO.

So really even an E9 with a dolby headphone chip inside and toggle switchs for Dolby or Pro Logic ON/OFF and analog external input/digital input.

Surely a more audiophile company wouldn't mind drawing the big market of console gamers with headphones away from Astro/Turtle Beach/Tritton/etc?

Based on my reading here I went out and got a AD700 and Mixamp about 4 weeks ago. I’m coming from stereo so I was expecting something great but instead it felt like it was missing. On a whim I got a DSS on ebay and it ending up feeling better. I was confused because I spent almost 4x as much on the Mixamp but I think I just realized I got the old (5.1 Mixamp) version.

Is the consensus that 7.1 (upmixed) is better than 5.1 right? Or am I crazy by saying the $25 DSS sounds better?

Based on my reading here I went out and got a AD700 and Mixamp about 4 weeks ago. I’m coming from stereo so I was expecting something great but instead it felt like it was missing. On a whim I got a DSS on ebay and it ending up feeling better. I was confused because I spent almost 4x as much on the Mixamp but I think I just realized I got the old (5.1 Mixamp) version.

Is the consensus that 7.1 (upmixed) is better than 5.1 right? Or am I crazy by saying the $25 DSS sounds better?

I think the consensus is that it's mainly marketing and that there's barely any audible difference.

It sounds like the more likely cause of it sounding better is that you've gotten used to dolby headphone.

Does your mixamp look like this? Because if it doesn't then it's doing the 7.1.

Also the DSS has a higher noise floor than any of the mixamps I've tested. This is especially important for the AD700s, which are probably the most prone to picking up hiss out of all the headphones I've tried.

Also... ironically I just paid MORE for a ATH w1000x [with NEW L3000 pads] then I could have for a new He 400... OH WELL I want a closed woodie!

My buyer told me he also prefered [highly] the w1000x over the Mad dog, so I should be happy. and it's only the pads that have costed me. Since I returned le mad dog.... WHY DID I GET U MAD DOG q.q [they don't suck but they need a REALLY great solid state amp, which I ofc don't use ss amps ]